Stationery-dispensing cabinet.



- J. E. KNAUSS.

STATIONERY DISPENSING CABINET.

APPLIOATION FILED 110mm, 1912.

1,095,579. Patented May 5, 1914.

iiii; i ilgiii Q5 Mil ATTORNEY JAMES E; KNAUSS, OF HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA.

STATIONERY-DISPEN SING CABINET.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. KNAUss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Healdsburg, in the county of Sonoma and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stationery-Dispensing Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

The hereinafter described invention relates to an improved advertising device and stationery dispensing cabinet, and to one which is particularly adapted for hotels and the like where stationery is provided gratu itously to the guests, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character which is capable of being positioned on the counter or desk of a hotel or the like, and which is provided with actuating mechanism, upon the opera tion of which a single sheet of paper or a single envelop is delivered from the cabinet, thus relieving the clerk of the trouble of giving stationery to each guest, and reducing to a minimum the waste of stationery over the old manner of dispensing great quantities to each guest at a time. I

My improved device consists in a suitable cabinet adapted for positioning on a counter or desk and the surfaces thereof adapted for the display of advertisements, paper and envelop compartments with said cabinet, delivery openings in said compartments, means for forcing the paper and envelops in said compartments toward said delivery openings, and reciprocating means for delivering a single sheet of paper or a single envelop from said delivery openings.

With theseand other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

To fully comprehend the invention refer ence should be had to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein is disclosed a complete constructed device for carrying out the invention and wherein- Figure l is a perspectiveview of my improved dispensing cabinet, disclosing the operating handles and one of the stationery delivery openings. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view disclosing the compartments, the follower plates and the reciprocating means for delivering a single piece of stationery from the cabinet. Fig. 3 is a. top

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 12, 1912.

Patented May 5 1914. Serial No. 730,866.

plan view with the cover removed, disclosing' the means for retaining the stationery in the compartments and the fingers for dehvering the topmost piece of stationery from each compartment.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates my dispensing cabinet provided with a fiat top and downwardly beveled side and end walls adapted to display advertisements.

The interior of the cabinet is oblong in shape, is provided with end walls 2 curved outwardly at their upper ends, and is divided transversely of its length into suit able paper and envelop compartments 3 and t, by adjustable partitions 5 and 6, the side edges of which are received in vertical grooves 7 formed in the inner face of the side walls of the cabinet, and the upper edges of the partitions are curved toward the ends of the compartments in the same are as the curvature of the end walls 2.

The paper and envelop compartments 3 and 4 are provided respectively with cover plates 8 and 9 pivoted, as at 10, to the side walls of'the cabinet, and the cover plates are spaced slightly above the upper edge of the end walls 2 thus providing a slot or opening 10, one for each compartment and through which the stationery is delivered.

Each compartment is provided with a follower plate 11 for forcing the stationery u wardly in the compartment and the follower plates are forced upwardly by the action of the coiled springs 12 interposed between the underside thereof and the bottom of the compartment in which the same is positioned.

The mechanism for delivering the stationery from the respective compartments is constructed in the following manner: Slid' ably mounted in suitable grooves 13 in the upper face of the respective cover plates 8 and 9 are guide bars 14 and 15, to the underside of the outer ends of which are mounted the spring arms 16 and 17 which are downwardly bent adjacent their outer ends, and which carry at their outer ends suitable disks 18 and 19, operating through oblong openings 20 and 21 in the cover plates 8 and 9, and to the under face of the disks l8 and 19 are secured flexible pads or fingers 22 and 23, preferably of rubber and which are forced into contact with the topmost sheet of paper or envelop in the re spective compartments. When the bars 14' in the compartments against the action of and 15 are in their innermost position, the underside of the spring arms 16 and 17 contact with the inner edge of the oblong opening and the engaging fingers 22 and 23 are raised from contact with the stationery, but as the bars 14 and 15 are moved outwardly the spring arms will disengage from the. in nor edge of the oblong openings and the fingers 2:2 and 23 will contact with the stationery and project the topmost sheet of paper or envelop outwardly through the delivery opening associated therewith.

Pivotally connected to the inner ends of the guide bars l t and 15 are links and 25, the opposite ends of which are provided with oblong openings 25 and 2c and are secured by means of actuating rods 25 and 26 extending from the outer ends of the guide bars 1 and to the horizontal portions 26 and 2'? of vertically extending shafts 28 and rotatably secured in supporting guides 30 extending transversely of the cabinet between the adjustable partitions. The lower ends of said shafts are bent horizontally as at 31. and and to the ends of which are pivotally mounted the inner ends of operating plungers 83 and 34:, the outer ends of which project outwardly a short distance beyond one end of the cabinet adjacent the lower edge thereof and are provided with suitable operating knobs adapted to be grasped. by the operator when it is desired to actuate the delivery mechanism. The plungers are normally retained in a position to be forced inwardly relative to the cabinet by the tension of coiled springs 35 and 36 which are connected at one end to the ends of the respective horizontal portions 31 and 32 and are fastened at their opposite ends in any suitable manner to the bottom of the cabinet.

hen it is desired to replenish the supply of stationery in the compartments, it is only necessary to disconnect the ends of the links from the horizontal portions of the vertical shafts and by doing this the inner end of the cover plate may be raised which will force the outer end thereof downwardly,- when in this position access may be had to the interior of the compartment and the supply of stationery contained therein may be replenished.

A top plate 37 is positioned over the cover plates 8 and and is detachably secured to the cabinet in any suitable manner.

The operation of the device is as follows :The cover is removed and the top plates are swung upwardly, the partitions are placed in their respective slots to adjust the compartments to the proper size for the stationery to be placed therein. As the stationery is placed in the compartments, writing paper in one and envelops in another, the follower plates are forced downwardly the coiled springs. After the desired amount of stationery is placed in each compartment, the cover plates are positioned as in Fig. 2, the cover plates are swung into position with the pads or fingers directly over the topmost sheet of paper or envelop in the respective coi'npartmcnts. The action of the coiled springs in pushing the stationery upwardly in the compartment-s forces the stationery to follow the contour of the curved partition and end wall. The operator desiring a sheet of paper or envelop presses the plunger controlling the delivery of the same and upon the pressing of the plunger the flexible finger which projects through the oval opening in the cover plate, will, on the outward movement of the guide bar be forced by the action of the spring arm supporting the same. downwardly upon the topmost envelop or sheet of paper in the compartn'ient associated therewith, and as the guide rod moves outwardly, a single sheet of paper or a single envelop will. be projected through the discharge opening. Upon the release of pressure upon the plunger the delivery finger will be drawn inwardly in the oval opening in the cover plate and the spring arm supporting the same will engage the inner edge of the oval opening and the delivery finger will be lifted a slight distance from the topmost sheet of paper ,or envelop in position to be operated as before.

It will be observed that I have provided a stationery dispensing cabinetthat is simple in construction, eflicient in all of its operations, and one which is capable of dispcns ing a single sheet of paper or envelop at a time.

Having thus described my invention what is claimed as new and is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is 1. In a stationery dispensing cabinet, the combination with separate paper and envelop compartments therein, a hinged top plate for closing each compartment and the same being provided with an opening therein, the cabinet being provided with delivery openings at the ends thereof and formed between the top plate and the top of the end Wall of said compartments, a guide bar slidably mounted longitudinally of each of said cover plates, operating shafts pivotally connected at their upper ends to the inner ends of said guide bars, a spring pressed finger connected to the outer end of each of said guide bars and adapted to reciprocate in the openings in said cover plates and normally disengaged from the stationery therein, and an operating plunger rod connected to the lower end of each of said ope ating shafts and extending exteriorly of said cabi net for operating said shafts to cause said fingers to contact with and-project the top most piece of stationery contained in said compartments through said delivery openings.

2. In a stationery dispensing cabinet, the combination with separate paper and envelop compartments therein, a top plate for closing each compartment and being provided with an opening therein, the cabinet being provided with delivery openings at the ends thereof, a guide bar mounted to slide longitudinally of each of said cover plates, operating shafts pivotally connected at their upper ends to the inner ends of said guide bars, a finger mounted to reciprocate in each of said openings, a spring member for connecting each of said fingers to their respective rods, said springs when the rods are in their innermost position contacting with said cover plates to disengage the fingers from the stationery and when the rods are in their outermost position forcing the fingers into engagement With the stationery, and an operating plunger rod connected to the lower end of each of said operating shafts and extending exteriorly of the cabinet.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES E. KNAUSS. Witnesses H. F. ToTTnN, D. B. RICHARDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents;

Washington, I). 0. 

